title: Writing the introduction.
abstract: The introduction section of a scientific paper aims to introduce a specific topic and to stimulate the reader's interest. It provides background information about what has already been done by others, supported by a limited number of relevant references. The reader should be informed about the purpose of the paper, what it will address, and how it relates to previous work.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Medical Journal, 2 College Road, Singapore 169850. smj.editor@sma.org.sg.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Peh
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods; D018156:Journalism, Medical / Q000592:standards; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011643:Publishing / Q000592:standards*; D014956:Writing